The number of supporters for Barney Frank’s online gambling bill continues to grow. The 49th co-sponsor, a representative from Michigan, was added yesterday, following a representative from California signing on Tuesday and five others – 2 from New Jersey and 1 each from Connecticut, Idaho and New York – joining last Friday to challenge the unpopular UIGEA law. If Bill HR2267 is passed then online gambling could be regulated and legal in the US.

Bill HR2267 is ‘to amend title 31, United States Code, to provide for the licensing of Internet gambling activities by the Secretary of the Treasury, to provide for consumer protections on the Internet, to enforce the tax code, and for other purposes.’ On 12 June the bill was referred to the House subcommittee. Both state and federal governments stand to gain substantially from online gambling dollars if legislators vote to pass the bill.

Barney Frank became Chairman of the Committee on Financial Services in January 2007, overseeing the housing and banking industries. Since 2006 Frank has been actively supporting online gambling rights and introduced two previous bills in 2007 and 2008. He has said that HR2267 is gathering extra support since the recent seizure of poker funds, and believes that to gamble online is a matter of personal freedom. (E-07.23.09)

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